Sled Dogs Mush In Snowless Doylestown

There are a couple of misconceptions about sled dogs that should be cleared up right away.

First, the drivers do not say "Mush" to get the dogs going. "Hike," "Let's go" or "all right" work just as well.

Second, and more importantly, sled dogs do not need snow, as demonstrated Saturday by teams owned by Chuck Weiss of Perkasie and Tracy Frock of Ambler during a mock competition at the Mercer Museum in Doylestown.

Weiss, 33, explained that while drivers are called "mushers," dry-weather racers use three-wheeled "gigs" pulled by up to 18 dogs.

"Most of the dogsledding in this area is done with gigs," he said. "We just don't have the snow. As a matter of fact, the first two years I was in the sport, I didn't even have a sled."

A Lower Bucks native who moved to Perkasie several weeks ago with his wife, Amy, and 15-month-old son, Mackenzie, Weiss became involved in the Arctic sport about five years ago through his interest in camping and backpacking. He sent away for a backpack for his dogs and wound up with his name on numerous other outdoors- and dog-oriented sporting goods companies' mailing lists.

When he saw the sledding equipment in an unsolicited catalog, he decided to give it a try with his Akitas, Koji and Mooshki. "I figured I had two northern breeds, so I got harnesses. They took to it right away."

He uses the sport and its attraction to drum up interest in dog rescue operations throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Although he races for the Jersey Sands Sled Dog Club in New Jersey, Weiss obtained his dogs from the Delaware Valley Akita Resuce, which maintains offices in Carversville, Bucks County.

Frock, who was recruited to the sport by Weiss and routinely beats him in sprint competitions, is a member of the Pennsylvania Sled Dog Club in Reading, and supports the Doberman Rescue of Monmouth County, N.J.

Dogs have been pulling sleds for more than 4,000 years, but it wasn't until the mid-1860s that European explorers adopted the practice from Eskimos in northern Canada, according to Weiss. The first organized sled-dog race was held in Nome, Alaska, in 1907, "basically as a way to beat the mid-winter blues," he continued.

Today, there are sled dog clubs in every state and the sport has a strong following in the Delaware Valley, said Frock. Sellersville resident Rob Downey is an internationally-ranked racer, she said.

Any type of dog can be used on a sled as long as the breed is strong enough and will cooperate, both explained.

"Everyone thinks its hard to get the dogs to pull," Weiss told a group of about 75 spectators as he harnessed Koji in Arctic-like temperatures while children huddled around the animals. "Its not hard. They love to pull. Its hard to get them to stop."

Weiss said most dogs enjoy the exercise and Koji has pulled up to 1,800 pounds in practice, he said. Races are a different matter.

"He's kind of a goofball and he tends to go to the sidelines to see the people," Weiss said, prompting laughter from the kids.

"Its a real fun sport. You can take it real seriously and right off the bat you can buy a trained team or you can use patience and train your own dogs," said Weiss, who took the latter route. "The dogs will either pull or they won't. If they won't, you can't make them."

Race organizers have strict prohibitions against abusing the animals and violations result in life bans from the sport, he said.

Weiss and Frock routinely race sprints with three-dog teams, but Weiss, who also uses his father's Doberman, Deena, was scheduled to pick up a fourth dog yesterday and may move up a class. Mid-distance races run 30 to 200 miles and long distance races, like Alaska's Iditarod, can go more than 1,100 miles. Sled teams can include up to 18 dogs.

"Most of the races you find in the Northeast are one mile per dog on the team, so we'll run three miles," Weiss said. "It's pretty much based on conditions and the organizers will change it the day of the race if necessary."

Part of the popularity is the family-oriented nature of the sport. Children can participate once they are big enough to control a dog and sled. Men and women compete equally, said Weiss, pointing to Frock and Alaska's Susan Butcher, who has won the Iditarod several times.

Races in the New Jersey and Pennsylvania region attract 30 to 40 teams on average but a December race in Reading brought out 70 teams with more than 150 dogs.

"We got blown out of that one. I generally get blown out," Weiss laughed, making it clear his defeats don't bring discouragement.

The demonstration was held in conjunction with the museum's current exhibit, "Good Sports: Bucks County Athletics Since 1850." For more information on the exhibit, call 345-0210.